A Forum for Community Issues : Youth Opinion : ‘Adults Expect a Lot But Won’t Let Me Grow Up’

Adults are often exasperated by teen-agers. Here the tables are turned: Teens get to say what bugs them most about their elders.

MEGAN MACDONALD

Sophomore, 15, Hoover High School, Glendale

Parents and teachers always want you to live up to this standard. They want you to be responsible about school and your social life and a job if you have one, but they talk to you like you’re a child. Teachers want you to think for yourself but when you question their point of view, they try to make you look like your opinions don’t mean anything. When I’m on my own and I’m “an adult,” I hope I can remember what it was like to be a teen-ager.

MELANIE EVERETT

Junior, 16, Troy High School, Fullerton

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Adults downplay our problems but want you to understand their problems. Parents and teachers don’t really seem to understand that what might seem small to them is a big problem to me. Maybe trying to get a good grade or having a fight with a friend might seem trivial to adults, but to a lot of teen-agers school and friends are a large portion of their lives. Sure, for our parents, losing their job would be a big thing, but they have to realize that our problems are big to us.

MEGAN GELLMAN

Sophomore, 15, Rancho Alamitos High School, Orange

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My parents want me to be like an adult but they don’t want to give me the respect of an adult. Like when adults talk to other adults, they talk to them as their peers, not like a child. My mother, for example expects a lot of responsibility from me but she won’t let me grow up. I would like a little respect and consideration.

J.P. NELIS

Senior, 18, Troy High School, Fullerton

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Adults generally don’t care what we have to say. I suppose it’s a maturity factor as to why parents and teachers generally won’t accept the opinions of young people. I work for the student newspaper. If (both) I and the L.A. Times were going to interview the principal of Troy, who do you think the principal would have more respect for, or care what they ask? It’s just the way things are.

SUSANNA SANCHEZ

Senior,17, Alhambra High School

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There’s so much judgment on the part of adults. They don’t let us test ourselves and grow up to become adults. My parents treat me like a child. (Adults) want to tell me exactly what to do. But when I want to do something on my own and I tell them they did it when they were young, they don’t want to listen.

EVERETT LEI

Junior, 15, Alhambra High School

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I think it depends on the adults. My parents treat me like an adult but other adults will look down on you. My parents have always tried to answer my questions and never talk down to me. But other adults don’t want to bother. It probably is a maturity thing. When you seem mature people tend to treat you differently. I’m not saying it’s right, but that’s the way it is.

Compiled by Erik Hamilton for The Times.